Hannah Wakulsky
Research Mentor(s): Lenette Jones
Mentor Department: Health Behavior and Biological Sciences
Authors:
Session: Session 3 (11:00am – 11:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 43
Abstract
Title: Exploring relationships between blood pressure and self-management behaviors in a sample of Black women with hypertension Authors: Tiger Hutchons, Hannah Wakulsky, Korrey E. Monroe, Zhariyah Laughlin, Adaeze Njoku BS, Lenette M. Jones PhD, RN Abstract: Background: Hypertension disproportionately affects 58% of Black women. Effective self-management is crucial, yet research on self-management behaviors among this group is limited. The Brain Relationships Among Information, Neuroprocessing, and Self-Management (BRAINS) study (partially) addressed this research gap by exploring relationships between health information and self-management behaviors (HISB). Objective: To investigate relationships between blood pressure (BP) and HSIB in a sample of Black women with hypertension. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, the BRAINS study had 99 participants that self-identified as Black women, were aged 21-64, and had been diagnosed with hypertension. Using videoconferencing, participants completed surveys assessing HISB/outcomes, chronic disease management, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and patient activation. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, including percentages and means of the sample’s demographics, and additional statistical analysis using Pearson Correlation tests. Results: The self-reported data on a 0-10 (least to most confident) scale presented a small, negative correlation between diastolic BP and participants’ confidence in minimizing fatigue caused by their disease from interfering with daily activities (r=-0.216, p=0.037). Other forms of self-management regarding: physical discomfort, emotional distress, other health problems, performing daily activities, limiting doctor visits, and reducing medication, do not show significant correlations with either systolic BP or diastolic BP (p-value>0.05). Conclusion: Results indicate that self-management strategies, particularly fatigue management, can affect diastolic BP in individuals with hypertension. Further research is needed to explore other self-management approaches and their impact on hypertension, aiding in developing methods to reduce blood pressure levels among Black women.
